Any discussion of the prior art throughout the specification should in no way be considered as an admission that such prior art is widely known or forms part of the common general knowledge in the field.
Repair of damaged tissues is a fundamental biological process. The repair process involves two distinct stages: a regenerative phase, in which injured cells are replaced by normal cells of the same type; and a phase known as fibrosis, in which connective tissue replaces normal parenchymal tissue. In most cases, both stages are required to slow or reverse the damage caused by a damaging agent. However, although initially beneficial, the healing process can become pathogenic if it continues unchecked, leading to considerable tissue remodelling and the formation of permanent scar tissue. Fibrotic scarring is often defined as a wound-healing response that has gone awry.
Fibrotic changes can occur in all the main tissues and organ systems, including the heart, kidney and liver, and the US government estimates that 45% of deaths in the US can be attributed to fibrotic disorders (Wynn, Nat Rev Immunol, 2004, 4(8):583-594). For example:                fibrotic changes in the heart results in thickening of the heart valves and loss of flexibility in the cardiac muscle, which may lead to heart failure;        fibrotic changes in the kidney may result in the destruction of renal tubules and interstitial capillaries, leading to progressive loss of renal function; and        fatty liver disease (in which large vacuoles of triglyceride accumulate in liver cells) results in the accumulation of fibrosis in the liver, leading to in cirrhosis, liver failure and portal hypertension.        
There is a need for agents that prevent or treat fibrosis and fibrosis-related conditions. In particular, there is a need for agents that prevent, reduce or slow the progression of fibrosis, reduce established fibrosis, prevent, reduce or slow renal tubular cell death, prevent, reduce or slow fat accumulation in the liver, and/or restore normal tissue architecture.
It is an object of the present invention to overcome or ameliorate at least one of the disadvantages of the prior art, or to provide a useful alternative.